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- BGG rating
- 6.1
Corsairs
- 2–4 players
- 60 min
- Complexity 1.7/5
- 2000
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- BGG #10,589
- BGG rating
- 6.2
San Francisco
2000
Rules assistance for San Francisco
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 3–5 players
- 90 min
- 12+
- Complexity 2.6/5
Rules assistant for San Francisco
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
San Francisco is a board game released in 2000 for 3–5 players, 90 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. It was designed by Thorsten Löpmann and Andreas Wetter and its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding.
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About the game
The game is set in San Francisco after the great earthquake, and players are charged with rebuilding the city. The board is a fairly straightforward affair with the matrix randomly populated with building tiles. Players compete in various auctions for the right to place possession rods around the tiles and when a clear plurality is established the tile is scored by that player. There are a number of different auctions: sequential money bidding (akin to High Society), by blind bidding one of the three building types with clashes determined by money bids (akin to Basari), blind influence point bidding with like bids cancelling (akin to Raj/Hols der Geier). After a set number of turns which see a building erected, the player with the highest point total wins.
Categories
Mechanics
Designers
Publishers
- AMIGO
Questions and answers
San Francisco supports 3–5 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for San Francisco is 90 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists San Francisco for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
San Francisco has a complexity rating of 2.6 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
San Francisco belongs to these categories: City Building. Its main mechanics are Auction / Bidding. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The credited designers of San Francisco are: Thorsten Löpmann and Andreas Wetter. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists San Francisco as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.